Smiling through the tears
by Kyla1
Summary: Chakotay and Kathryn at home, with a soppy song and dancing, ok ok it's mushy!! But everyone needs mushyness so r+r


"I would like to propose a toast, to Captain Kathryn Janeway," The speaker turned and raised his glass to the small woman sitting beside him

Disclaimer: If this is the real world then……………………….it isn't mine, darn it. Song is Joan Armatrading, it's called Trouble and it's a brilliant song! I know not many people will know it but the lyrics kind of tell the story I think, I hope!

Feedback: goes without saying.

Note: Yes it's mushy, but I don't care, I haven't wrote anything properly mushy in…….about a week! What can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic.

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Smiling through the tears

"I would like to propose a toast, to Captain Kathryn Janeway," The speaker turned and raised his glass to the small woman sitting beside him. She smiled and hesitantly stood up as the room raised their glasses to her. Chakotay watched as she thanked the unfamiliar friends sitting around her. He could barely believe it, they were home, they were safe.

__

You've lived your life,

And how you survived

I'll never know.

How they had survived the past seven years was a mystery to him, he guessed it was all down to Kathryn's determination, under a weaker Captain they might be busily colonising a planet at the moment. There was a lot of things you could say about Kathryn Janeway but weak was definitely not one of them. 

__

People talk of hardships,

What do they know?

What do they know?

Of the strength you had to show

Now stubborn was something you could call her, the way she refused to give in. But that could work against a person if the stubbornness went too far. The music was starting and couples began to dance, Kathryn ever so gracefully moved to the side where she was unobtrusively out of the way. 

__

To stop yourself from crying out,

To keep your head above the sand,

Those times when you were in despair.

Chakotay stood up and slowly moved through the dancing couples to Kathryn's side, the place he had been for the last seven years. She looked beautiful, he smiled slightly and offered her his arm.

"Would you care to dance?" He asked in his best formal tone, she smiled at him and took his arm as he led her onto the dance floor.

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When trouble seemed your only friend,

Somehow you kept your spirits high

You told him straight don't call again

His arms wound their way around her petite waist, and hers automatically linked round his neck, they danced slowly in a comfortable silence. She sighed and rested her head on his chest, Chakotay couldn't resist the impulse to lower his head to her soft shining hair.

__

Now there were times

When it seemed I didn't care

Don't misjudge my silence

Chakotay gently stroked one hand on Kathryn's back, this felt so right. His heart had been wounded for so long, every blow she took he felt it, every disappointment, every time she despaired he felt it. He had been longing to reach her under her captains mask and hold her when she cried.

__

You had my sympathy,

I had sympathy,

And I admired how you,

Chakotay suddenly felt Kathryn pull away from him and he loosened his grip, she glanced up and he was surprised to see tears in her blue eyes, she quickly turned and walked out into the moonlit garden. Chakotay did what he could never do onboard the ship, he followed her.

__

Stopped yourself from crying, 

Kept your head above the sand.

He walked out into the starlight and saw Kathryn sitting facing a fountain, he walked up slowly behind her and she turned her head, the starlight lit up her face and her every beautiful feature, he saw a tear glisten.

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When trouble seemed your only friend,

Somehow you kept your spirits high

You told him straight,

Don't call again.

He sat down next to her and gently wiped the tear from her face, she looked so frail and battle scarred. All the dents to her armour had taken their toll, she was finally letting herself begin to feel again. Chakotay leant forward and held her, she tightened her grip around him as though she could never let go.

__

And now the future's looking bright,

You fought alone and won the fight,

You kept your faith,

Suddenly he heard her laugh and he pulled back, she was smiling through her tears. He understood, all her feelings were being let back in, she looked up at him, her smile warm and inviting.

__

When times were hard you made it through,

Trouble seemed your only friend,

Somehow you kept your spirits high,

His hand came up and caressed her hair, she leant into his palm and closed her eyes, he leant forwards to her and brushed her lips with a ghost of a kiss. When she didn't attempt to move away he leant back down and caught her mouth with his, his tongue gently explored her mouth as he felt her respond to his touch.

__

You stopped yourself from crying out,

You kept your head above the sand,

Those times when you were in despair,

She had let him in, he was finally allowed to see what she was feeling. He was allowed to see her tears.

__

Those times when you were in despair,

Trouble seemed your only friend,

Somehow you kept your spirits high,

It had been a long hard struggle but she had done it, and he loved her all the more for it. Now there was a future, one for them both to share, where no-one had to do it alone. 

__

You told him straight

Don't call again.

****

The End

There's my bit of fluff over for one evening, sometimes in life you just have to write fluff!


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